


❤ For Effort

by FallingLikeThis



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, Football, Getting Together, Gym class, Harry is a wonderful person, Insecure Harry, M/M, Nerd Harry, Popular Louis, and so is louis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 06:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11480724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FallingLikeThis/pseuds/FallingLikeThis
Summary: When Harry Styles lets his team down during gym class, resulting everyone having to run laps, he expects the worst. But the backlash never comes.Harry's crush, Louis Tomlinson, may or may not have something to do with that.





	❤ For Effort

**Author's Note:**

> Special thank you to Michelle for the super quick beta.
> 
> This fic was written as part of an ongoing challenge. We each select random numbers and are given a specific emotion from the book 1000 Feelings For Which There Are No Names. To read the other fics written in this challenge, click [here](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/ShortFic_Challenge_For_Which_There_Is_No_Name/works), or you can find the masterpost on tumblr [here](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159679804243/1000-feelings-for-which-there-are-no-names-prompt).
> 
>  
> 
> Prompt 457. The astonishment that people still say hi to you despite everything.

 

Harry Styles hates gym.

He stands in a line of his peers, digging the toe of his shoe into the grass and waiting. He knows he’ll be waiting a while as Calvin and Ant pick out the best teams possible for their head to head football match. And Harry knows that, just like always, he’ll be picked last. Because Harry sucks at all things sports-related, but especially football.

He pushes his glasses up and glances at Louis Tomlinson as he’s chosen, feeling his cheeks heat up.

Louis is, by far, the best football player in Harry’s gym class. He’s always picked first for everything. He’s all athletic and tan, with these strong thighs and muscular calves. He’s sort of perfect and Harry has to remind himself not to stare as Louis jogs over to join his team.

The minutes tick by slowly until everyone is chosen except for Harry and Darren, the asthmatic kid. Even he gets picked before Harry usually.

Harry looks up from the divot his foot is making in the grass with his toe when he doesn’t immediately hear Darren’s name being called and he sees Louis and Calvin arguing quietly. Finally, Calvin gives in with a sigh and a roll of his eyes.

“Styles,” he calls out, making Harry’s jaw drop.

He stands there, not moving to join his team because, well, he couldn’t have possibly heard that right. Right?

“You gonna stand there all day, or are you going to join us, Harry?” Louis asks with a smirk and Harry’s heart beats double-time as he snaps his mouth shut.

“Um. I’ll join you, I guess,” he answers, still not feeling too sure of himself as he walks over to join his team.

“Good choice,” Louis says with a smile, patting Harry’s shoulder when he’s next to him.

Harry feels his ears heat up and bites his lip as Ant calls out Darren’s name and the teams are all even.

Harry tries to pay attention in the huddle. They all know he can’t run, he’ll trip over his own feet, so he’s assigned to play goalie. After that, he spends the next few minutes trying not to dwell on his crush on his teammate.

“Alright! Let’s go,” Calvin claps and they break apart, running to take their positions.

“Um,” Harry stands there, unsure which side of the pitch he’s supposed to be on.  He’s alone. Because his teammates actually know what they’re doing.

Luckily, Calvin comes to his aid. “Styles,” he calls, pointing to the correct goal. “Over there.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Harry says, nodding like he knew that, he was just waiting for… his legs to start working.

Harry jogs over to his goal and takes his place, hoping against hope that he can pull through for his team.

 

*

 

The game is going fairly well.

Harry has only had to defend against one shot that went too wide anyway. So, at least he hasn’t let his team down. Louis has been a boss on the field, stealing the ball and blocking most of the shots before they can get the ball to Harry anyway.

Unfortunately, the other team actually has an amazing goalie so Harry’s team hasn’t scored either, though not for lack of trying.

“Two minutes!” The coach calls out, and Harry already feels relief that the game is almost over and he’s managed not to embarrass himself. “The team that scores first, doesn’t have to run laps!”

“Oh no,” Harry says to himself as he sees the boy dribbling the ball his way look up at him with renewed determination. It’s Darren. Of course he wouldn’t want to run laps. It would be much easier on his lungs not to have to.

He’s not sure how but Harry can see it even before Darren kicks the ball. He can tell which direction it’s going to go and he could probably easily stop it but Harry has a crisis of conscience. Does he stop the ball and save his team from running laps? Or let it in and save the kid with asthma from the same fate? In the blink of an eye, Harry has a decision to make. So he makes it. He dives toward the opposite side of the net, just to make absolutely certain that he doesn’t stop the ball accidentally. It makes him look like a fool and his teammates groan and swear at him but Harry’s used to looking hopeless at sports.

The coach blows his whistle and the game is over. “You know what to do!” He bellows and Harry’s team starts running their laps around the pitch while Ant’s team sits on the bleachers and smirks, clapping Darren on the back.

After the first lap, Calvin passes Harry, hissing something about how he knew he should have picked Darren for his team. Harry feels awful but then he passes the other team and sees Darren sitting there, breathing without the help of his inhaler and he pushes on, pretending he didn’t hear Calvin’s comment.

After ten laps with Harry trailing the pack, coach blows his whistle again. “Alright, hit the showers!” The coach yells, and everyone moves to obey. A few people send dirty looks Harry’s way and he hunches in on himself, feeling bad about letting his team down. He walks slowly behind the others, making it to the locker room when half of his class is already in the showers.

Harry heads to his locker to grab his towel and finds none other than Louis Tomlinson leaning against it, playing with his phone as he waits.

“Oh,” Harry says involuntarily, freezing in place a few steps away. He figured he was going to get shit for causing his team to run laps but he didn’t think the boy he had a crush on would be leading the charge.

“Harry, hi,” Louis smiles, standing up straight when he sees Harry standing there.

“Um,” Harry says, unsure of what to do. Why is Louis smiling at him like that? “Hi?”

Louis’ smile fades a little and he looks concerned. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Y-yeah, I guess,” Harry answers, not moving any closer. He certain this must be some cruel prank from his teammates. Use Louis to draw him in and then shove him into a locker or something.

Louis stares expectantly, finally speaking when it’s obvious Harry’s staying where he is. “It would be more private if you’d come closer.”

“Oh,” Harry swallows, knowing he can’t deny a direct request like that. Not from Louis. “Okay.”

Louis smiles again when Harry closes the distance, and as hard as he’s looking, Harry can’t see any malice in it.

“Look,” Louis starts quietly when Harry is right beside him. “I know what you did out there for Darren. It couldn’t have been easy taking the blame for missing that shot but, I think it was pretty heroic.”

Harry looks around and sees Darren at his locker, half-dressed from his shower and still getting pats on the back from his teammates as he pulls on his shirt. Darren has a smile on his face and he’s probably never been in a position to feel appreciated like that in gym class before. Harry hasn’t either and he’s not going to risk ruining it for Darren. He’s prepared to have half his gym class hate him for a little while.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says when he turns back to Louis, looking at his shoes instead of his face. “I just really suck at football, that’s all.”

Louis stands there silently for another fifteen seconds and Harry can feel Louis’ gaze on him but he refuses to look up at the other boy. It’s killing him but he thinks having such a close-up view of Louis probably isn’t good for his heart anyway.

“Alright. If you say so,” Louis gives in, sounding like he doesn’t believe Harry for a second. He reaches out and squeezes Harry’s bicep as he passes and Harry feels his heart clench right along with it.

Harry takes a second to breathe, and then gets his towel. If he doesn’t hurry, he won’t have time for a shower before the bell rings.

 

*

 

Harry Styles still hates gym class. Only a week has passed and he’s not looking forward to the reminders of his failure from the week before that he’s sure Calvin and the others are going to throw at him.

Except, when Harry walks into the locker room to change for class, no one says anything. No one even looks at him.

Harry shrugs to himself and moves to his locker. The silent treatment is better than insults, he supposes.

“Hey, Harry,” Louis says, clapping Harry on the shoulder as he passes, already dressed in his gym clothes.

Harry stares after him as he walks out the door. Okay, so maybe he’s not getting the silent treatment?

“Hey, H,” Niall Horan says as he follows Louis out.

Harry stands there, bewildered with his gym shirt in his hands. Niall Horan is one of those popular kids that Harry didn’t even think knew his name.

It happens a few more times as Harry is getting dressed and he’s seriously not sure what’s going on now. None of these people usually talk to him. He walks out to join his class, pushing up his glasses as he goes and hoping for the best.

“This week’s form of torture,” The coach announces once all his charges are in front of him, “football again!”

Harry groans internally. Seriously, you’d think football was the only sport that existed, the way they play it all the time.

“Team captains… Tomlinson. Horan.”

Harry sees Louis and Niall exchange a look as they take their places in front of everyone. He ducks his head and waits to be chosen last again.

“Harry,” a soft, raspy voice calls out and Harry’s head snaps back up, wondering why Louis’ calling him. Is he standing in the way of the person Louis wants to call first? He peers behind himself and when he sees no one there, he looks back at Louis, confused.

“Do you want to join me on my team, Harry?” Louis is smiling at him, looking hopelessly endeared and Harry doesn’t think anyone’s ever looked at him that way before.

“Oh, yes. Sorry,” Harry answers a bit too enthusiastically probably, as he hurries to stand next to Louis.

He barely hears Niall call out "Payne" as Louis leans into his space, placing a hand on the small of his back as he whispers, “Glad to have you.”

Harry has to physically bite his lip to keep from replying ‘ _you can have me anytime you want’._ It’s a struggle but he keeps it in, meeping out a squeaky “thank you” before Louis calls out the next member of his team.

 _Darren._ Louis’ next choice is Darren and Harry knows what he’s doing. He’s picking all the people who get picked last first. Harry thinks he might want to kiss him. Very badly. Right now. But that’s not exactly unusual. Harry tries to clear his head and pay attention. He’s gotta hold it together so that he can make Louis proud.

Louis puts Harry in goal again, leading him to the right one so there’s no confusion like last time.

In a brief moment of insanity, Harry grabs Louis’ wrist before he can leave. “Thank you,” he says, “for picking me first. I know you were just trying to be nice, letting the kids that get picked last feel special for once. It means a lot to me. You’re a lovely person, Louis.”

Louis smiles, eyes flicking down to Harry’s hand as he lets go of Louis’ wrist. “The way I see it, letting the kid with asthma win so that he doesn’t have to run laps makes you a pretty lovely person too, Harry. The other guys think so too. They’ll keep your secret.”

Harry ducks his head. Of course, Louis would see through his lies. Harry’s always been pretty transparent when it comes to Louis. No wonder people are still talking to him, Louis told them what he’d done. It was sweet of him to make sure they wouldn’t tell Darren.

“And I didn’t pick you just to be nice,” Louis says, brushing his hand against the side of Harry’s hand, letting his fingers catch on Harry’s for a split second, making Harry’s heart skip and his mouth go dry. “If we win today, I’ll take you out for dinner later, to celebrate?”

Harry swallows, looking up at Louis and nodding dumbly. Did- Did Louis just ask him out on a date??

Louis grins, biting his bottom lip. “Great,” he says, taking a slow step back. “Now, let’s show them what Harry Styles is _really_ made of.”

Turns out, Harry is _really_ made of things that make him shit at football. They still lose, though it’s not entirely Harry’s fault this time. Louis still takes him on a date though… and that? Well, that feels like the best kind of winning.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this!! Please reblog [this fic post](http://suddenclarityharry.tumblr.com/post/162900577867/for-effort-fallinglikethis-rated-g-word-count) if you liked it!!


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